Tim Lincecum: The future is now

Rookie Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum discusses his peculiar pitching motion, his quick rise to the Majors, and what he needs to do to build upon his early success at the big-league level in the latest Players Talk show.

Selected in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, the 22-year-old flamethrower breezed through the Minor Leagues, pitching just over 62 professional innings before getting the call to San Francisco. In his first three starts, the 5-foot-11 Lincecum is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA while striking out 21 batters over 18 1/3 innings.

Lincecum says that although he still has much to learn, playing college ball at the University of Washington helped prepare him for the rigors of professional baseball.

"You meet a lot of great guys who take you under their wing and treat you well -- treat you like you belong," Lincecum said of his Giants teammates who have helped make every day a positive experience. "You learn the art of pitching, get more comfortable, and learn a lot more about yourself."

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.